I wrote the first version of these rules years ago. They have held up through COVID, rate rises and more than one tech share crash.
Here they are, updated for 2026. Most of them apply whatever you earn. A few matter most on a high income.
1. Write the plan down.
The biggest reason people don’t reach their goals is that they never set them. A plan on paper beats a good intention.
2. You don’t have to be rich to invest. You have to invest to get rich.
3. Market falls are normal.
Volatility is the price you pay for higher long term returns. Expect a big fall every few years.
4. Tax and investing go together.
Tax deductible investment debt can cut your tax while it builds your wealth.
5. Grow your assets, not just your income.
A pay rise is taxed at 47%. Growth in a well structured portfolio can be taxed far less.
6. Super is the best structure for tax free income.
Once you retire after 60, income from super can be tax free.
7. A dollar saved beats a dollar earned.
On the top rate, you have to earn almost two dollars to keep one.
8. Your results are decided in the wild times.
What you do when markets crash matters more than anything you do when they are calm.
9. Losses hurt twice as much as gains feel good.
Know that about yourself, and don’t take risks you don’t need.
10. Watch less financial news.
There is an inverse relationship between investment returns and time spent watching the market.
11. Get rich quick and get poor quick are the same thing.
12. Your home is also your biggest lever.
The equity in your home can build an investment portfolio, when it is structured properly.
13. Keep some cash ready.
Volatility creates opportunity, but only if you have money ready to use.
14. Turn bad debt into good debt.
Debt recycling converts your home loan into tax deductible investment debt over time.
15. Don’t fight over property versus shares.
Over the long run, with a disciplined approach, both have produced strong returns. Use both.
16. Savings build wealth, not salary.
A big income with no savings plan builds very little. Discipline matters at every income.
17. Let compounding do the heavy lifting.
Start early, stay invested, and reinvest the returns.
18. Use the rule of 72.
Divide 72 by your expected return to see how long it takes to double. At 8% a year, about 9 years.
19. Expect the unexpected.
Keep a cash buffer, the right insurance and access to a line of credit.
20. Think in decades.
Most people overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what they can do in ten.
Putting the rules to work
Rules only help when they are built into a plan. That is what my Early Retirement Blueprint does: one plan for your income, RSUs, super, home equity and tax.
Want to start reading? The free Lifetime Income Playbook puts many of these rules into practice. Or book a call below.
Create an income for life
Find out how to put these rules to work.
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